The Aurora Saga
by ChakaDonDon
Summary: Sociopaths do terrible things to each other under a vague veil of fighting an ultimate evil. Poorly-written.
1. The Introduction

In a land far beyond Rune-Midgard, there lived a demigod by the name of Shael. Presiding over a

continent which he dubbed "Aurora", Shael was content to live in peace, ruling over nobody and nothing

in particular, spending his days in leisure in the immense temple he built for himself. 

This all changed on a date nobody ever recorded: A necromancer, together with his pet phoenix,

arrived on the lands and tainted it with undeath. As the mighty Shael drew his power from life,

he was severely weakened and left with his own world hostile to himself. With his limited powers,

Shael drew upon several heroes. They were never heard from again. 

The stories within detail the day-to-day lives of a second, newer, group of adventurers, brought

to the island by Shael so that, perhaps this time, the forces of darkness destroying his realm may

be defeated. In no chronological order, this is the Aurora Saga.


	2. The Kaizel

Battered, broken, Akechi let out a weak groan, his last sight the stranger he hated fall to the same

force that took him down. I only wish I killed you myself, jackass, Akechi thought. That thought

was his last, as his spirit gave in as easily as the priest and soul linker's.

Satisfied the threats to his Master's domain were eliminated, the undead soldier meandered off, not

interested in no-longer-living meat. The three bodies, still warm with life, slowly grew cold in

the Abbey. Somewhere, on the other side of Aurora, Shael sensed the loss of his chosen, and began

to weep. Once again, his world would not see the sunlight of its past.

....

Gasping, You felt a jolt in his body, his limbs spasming briefly. A shock, so profoundly painful,

yet dulled, that he believed he was still dead. There was an afterlife! And yet he felt denied, as

if it was not yet his time. Eyes awakening to the all-too-familiar dark church, nose full of the

all-too-familiar stench of death and decay around him. It was surely Hell, but Hell does not have

dead friends.

"You" survived. Kaizel had worked. Taking a fallen in each arm, "You" evaluated his situation.

Alone, no living allies, no true method of defending himself, surrounded by the undead in every

direction. Lying back down and returning to death's embrace was a more comfortable fate than his

mission: Escape alive, and somehow resurrect the ones he needed.

He slowly trudged forward, making sure to drag Akechi's face on the ground, as a small comfort and

amusement to himself.


	3. The Marriage

"This is the gayest goddamn thing I've ever had to do in my entire fucking life."

"Oh, but think how much EASIER everything will be!" Croissant was cheery enough for the occasion.

having bought a set of light green robes just for the occasion, having decided to play the bride.

"You" noted they hugged his hips a little too closely. "I know it won't happen too often, but just

in-"

"Fuck off, shut up, let's get this over with," "You" was not very happy, despite having the "honor"

of being the husband. Meanwhile, Akechi was in a nearby pew, having not even bothered to try and

hold in his laughter. Reluctantly grabbing the priest's hand, the "husband and wife" make their way

down the aisle.

"Hey, 'You'..." Croissant raised his head to look at the soul linker, who was busy fishing. "Why do

you keep changing styles so much? When we first met you, you were more of a defender. Then

chemistry, and now this...soul-magic."

"I find it better to be able to do everything, instead of one thing really well." 'You' stared at the

bobber, waiting for something to bite. Neither husband nor wife were certain if there were any fish

in Aurora's seas, but the "honeymoon" was a great excuse to get away from Akechi. "It's not that

strange, you know. Look at you, you're a priest that doesn't focus on healing and sermons."

"True..." Whatever Croissant's response was going to be, it was cut short by the fishing rod suddenly

bending sharply. "You" wrestled with it, and, after calling for some help, pulled a most wonderful

sight out of the water.

It was a Phen, the fish sought after by many a chef. Native to the islands surrounding Izlude, the

idea of seeing one around Aurora never crossed either's minds. Such a meat-filled, savory treat is

uncommon even at the Bylan, and here one was...flopping around on the ground, slowly yet surely

escaping both hungry men.

"CATCH IT!!"


	4. The Sniper

"Hey, Dingleshit, do you kn-?" 'You' peers over the shrubs, only for Akechi to grab his throat and

pull him to the ground, forcing silence from the alchemist.

Not twenty yards in front of them was another person, someone who was most definitely not their

friend Croissant. Far more masculine, the man appeared to be a hunter, of sorts: the bow and

quiver he carries certainly gave that impression. Clad mostly in leather, the two most striking

features of the man were his silvery-blue metallic gauntlets, and the falcon resting on his shoulder.

For better or worse, the archer did not notice - or chose to ignore - 'You' and Akechi, walking

slowly, deliberately, through a corridor of the dungeon. Even after his figure disappeared into the

darkness, neither warrior moved or said a word for many long, tense minutes.

"A person from Before?" Akechi whispered, more to himself than anything. He almost started to grin,

wondering if the strength of the "old warriors" Shael talked of was true. Fantasies of a glorious

duel were cut short by a sharp punch by 'You'.

"Come on, we gotta go. Who cares who that asshole is, but it'll be best if we find Cr-" The sharp,

echoing screech of a Falcon cut off 'You''s statement, and sent both Chemist and Assassin running

down the tunnel.


	5. The Stalemate

"This will be good. Actually, I'll raise the stakes. A million zeny to the winner." Akechi leaned

up against a stump with his usual smirk, his only facial expression that isn't an angry scowl.

Staying several paces away from each other, 'You' and Croissant faced opposite directions, both of

them confident in their victory, a plan already formed in each mind for success. This confidence

was endangered, however, by each passing second that went without the confirmation to begin battle.

Both stood still, nerves on end.

"FIGHT!"

Coissant quickly turned around, unleashing a blast of Holy Light...which fizzled harmlessly against

'You'. Having anticipated that move, the Soul Linker imbued his body with the same holy powers the

priest used! Croissant paused, having not expected, or planned, for his only offense to fail.

Knowing their spirits were too close together to risk any soul magic, 'You' did the only thing he

COULD do: Charge forward, staff in hand. The situation of before reversed itself: A pink shield

enveloped Croissant, keeping the Linker's feeble offense from causing any real harm.

Minutes turned to hours, both of them unfortunately aware of the stalemate they're in, yet certain

it would only be a matter of time before the other either resigned out of frustration or grow weary

enough for a deceive blow to be struck. Of course, neither considered the idea of a draw.

Akechi lost interest long, long ago. He considered killing them himself, but decided against it.

The impotent flailings, for the moment, were still at least somewhat amusing.


	6. The Caprice

"Don't be ugly AND retarded, put the fucking shitblob away." Akechi held a katar two inches from

the alchemist's face, in a state of utter frustration. Day after day, having to tend to a strange

pile of goo, shoving yellow crystals into it and baby-talking it. Enough. No more.

"Wait wait wait! I taught him! Just wait for it!" 'You' didn't seem quite as afraid for his own

life as one would expect, largely because such events had become a near-hourly part of his life.

"See! Watch this, it'll be worth it!...You're not believing a bit of this are you?"

"Nope." Akechi pressed the Katar up to 'You's cheek, cutting into the skin. At this point, the

execution was interrupted by a loud crackling of electricity. The assassin turned to see that,

indeed, "Clapton" was channeling electricity...and more.

Wailing upon an innocent, passing-by Spore, Clapton's fleshy, bloby body solidified at points and

thrusted out like clubs and needles, a shower of fire, ice, and electricity scattering from its

body's core. It was an exciting display, but the Spore was long dead before much could be

demonstrated.

There was a silence. Akechi knew the homunculus's existence was justified, but he dug the katar

a little deeper into 'You's flesh anyway. "...Alright, fine. Just don't let it touch me."


	7. The Backstab

"Get this thing off me!" Croissant swung his staff blindly at the zombie, before a particularly

strong blow knocked him to the ground. The threat was quickly averted by 'You's larged, armored

body colliding into the zombie, sending its broken limbs flying into a mangled heap.

"Oh, shit! Sorry about that, Croi, that one got past us. You alright?" Croissant looked up to

his rescuer, turning slightly red. This was such a dangerous place, and it would have been far

safer to have abandoned the priest and ran like hell, yet the Paladin came back...

"Y-yeah...I'm fine, th...thank you..." Croissant looked away for a moment, feeling excessively

warm.

"Come on, you're not hurt, let's get you up and us outta here." Croissant looked up, seeing the

offered hand, and gently taking it. He wasn't sure how he felt. He hardly knew this person, and

yet there was a strange spark inside him, something that...

...Was quickly replaced by the blood 'You' decided to scream out of his mouth, slumping forward.

Behind the Paladin was Akechi, one Katar short. The missing one? In the back of 'You's skull.

The little flame inside Croissant died that moment, as a hasty healing brought the trio back to

the cold, undead reality surrounding them.


	8. The Assassinations

Night nine. Eyes sunken into his skull, with eyelids almost completely black. Every few seconds

the caress of a dream would fill Croissant's mind, quickly shaken out on alert duty. Death must

be avoided tonight.

From one of the sleeping bodies in front of him, a hand reaches out with a bottle of acid.

Slowly, deliberately, reaching over to the other sleeping man and tipping itself. An act so

preplanned it is nearly impossible to imagine the murderer actually asleep. No, it was true.

The murderous intent was so ingrained in both of them, attempts were performed even in their

sleep.

But Croissant would not let that happen. A mad dash and a spell to stop the bottle. Attempt 44

of the night, averted. They would make it. Shael said they would, and he was not wrong so far.

They would make it and reach a more peaceful place and finish the mission. Shael said they would.

Hours went by. A stray dagger there, a homunculus summoned here. The priest was as awake and

alert as if the assaults were on himself, despite days of strenuous combat and nights lacking

proper rest. They would stick together. They have to. Aurora would collapse otherwise.

The morning rose, with 'You' and Akechi feeling quite refreshed, if a bit irritated at seeing the

other also awake. Cleanup of the campsite took only a few moments, and after gently prodding

dear Croi, once again they were off.

Croissant would keep going. All three of them were in it together, but he so desperately wanted

some peace, a moment to curl up and rest. To curl up and cry.

To cry, and never stop.


	9. The Encounter

"Wait, you were sent by Shael?" Croissant raised an eyebrow. That couldn't be right, Shael had

sent THEM to fight the Necromancer. Why would another group of "chosen ones" be necessary?

"Mighty Shael had mentioned a group of fallen heroes, actually." The purple priest's words

struck into all three comrades: they had been rejected. Shael had left them, and now they were

truly, absolutely, alone in a hostile word with no chance to return home. "Your appearance

matches His description. Unknown, Analia, kill them."

"Like HELL we're letting you kill us! FUCK YOU!" Akechi disappeared into the shadows, the female

assassin acting in turn. With a primal scream, the blacksmith, apparently named "Unknown"

raised a man-sized sledgehammer and charged at Croissant...

Only to be tackled by the Soul Linker, the one who could help the least in the fight. But he

could protect Croissant. "Kaupe! Kaupe! Kaupe!" An increasingly insane berserker's sledge

passed through 'You' harmlessly, providing the distraction needed for Croissant to retreat

safely.

Two things happened in that instant. Both assassins emerged from hiding, stabbing both of their

targets. Linker and Blacksmith fell down with a shudder, their backs ripped open in a spray of

gore. One glance at each other, and the two assassins charged.

The healers on both side started chanting restorative spells. The fight was on.


	10. The Berserker

"I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL KILL YOU..." The berserker screamed in an endless,

almost hysterical chant as his skin flushed a blood red. His minimalistic clothing showed

skin shiny with sweat, in fact, he seemed to be steaming!

And 'You' was running like hell from this monster, only a few feet separating him from a

gruesome death by sledgehammer, and who knows the distance separating him from his allies.

His legs were strong, and he could keep the chase going as long as he liked, but an plan had

to happen, or else...

"Hey!" 'You' turned around, running backwards at the same pace, turning to face his insane

persuer. "Hey! Come here! Catch up, buddy!" A roar. "Yeeeeah, you wanna hit me, don't

you!" At that crucial moment, as the distance closed between the two, a stick was pulled from

'You''s bag, and broken.

There was a deafening roar. Some sort of immense dragon, bright red, surrounding by similar

creatures. The Linker only had enough time to cast Eske before the warm infinity of death

surrounded him.

Kaizel would save him. It had before, and he could track down his allies. How the blacksmith

would survive his new friend, wasn't exactly important to him.


	11. The Manipulation

"He loves you, you know." Priesterin sat down next to a dismayed Assassin, her soft sobs

briefly interrupted upon hearing his claim.

"He...He does?" Analia rose her head to face the priest. "But...but he's the enemy, how

can...how..."

"I've looked into his heart, just like I have yours. And it's there. It's there and I know

how to make him see it." He places a hand gently to the assassin's cheek. "Bring him to me,

Analia. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. Bring him to me, and I'll make him see. You two

could be together. Happy and together."

"Togeth- thank you, thank you, Sir." Analia embraced Priesterin, the cheery smile and

giggles covering the subtle insanity. All Priesterin could do was smile back. After all,

it is a good thing when a pawn is willing to be used.


	12. The Unison

"Croissant, listen..." 'You' paused for a bit, not exactly sure how to continue. "I think,

you know, since our souls have been tied for so long, how we've been so close and all that...

do you think we should, you know...try out...that?"

"Hm?" Croissant thought for a moment, then turned slightly red. "Oh! That! Um, well...I

don't think, well, 'You', I dunno if I'm ready for that or not." The priest looked away,

only for 'You' to move and maintain eye contact.

"Look, come on, it won't be bad, I know how this works." He places a hand on the priest's

shoulder. "It's gonna be great. Trust me on this one?" Moments pass before Croissant

gives a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Excellent! Come on, let's go, you'll love this."

Together, the pair slipped away from a still-sleeping Akechi for some recreation of their

own.

...

"Hey! Akechi!" The sun was up.

"Mmhm...fuck o-" Akechi quickly learned the bright light invading his eyes was not, in fact,

the sun. Rather, a massive sphere of holy energy surrounded the campsite and beyond, feeling

warm...almost hot. At the core, Croissant, surrounded by a pale blue aura, was focusing

intensely next to a shrieking soul linker.

"WE GOT IT! WE GOT IT! WE GOT IT!" Got what? Had they actually performed a "soul link"?

The prickling feeling in the assassin's skin confirmed that, yes, this was most definitely an

unlocked potential, far beyond what the priest was capable of ordinarly...

Fuck!

Why wasn't he the one to get this sort of power!?


	13. The Incompetence

"Go, Clapton, go!" 'You' cheered the pudding-like creature on as it unleashed a storm of

lightning and fire, working together with Akechi to defeat the gigantic tiger. The bears

that emerged from the wilderness, drawn to the battle by the beasts howl, were fought back

with equal intensity. "Yeah! Smash it u-wait, wh-"

The homunculus, shrinking slightly, slowly slithered it's way back to the alchemist and...

nuzzled? against his ankle...leading the swarm of bears right towards him! "No! NO! GO

BACK! FIGHT THE...NO YOU STUPID-!" Clapon, ever-so-slightly confused, gently headbutted

'You' in a weak sort of attack, assuming his owner wanted to be hurt himself.

"GOD DAMN IT, YOU FUCKING SHITCOCK HEEL GET THE HELL AWAY AND FUCKING SHIT YOUR FUCK..."

An endless stream of frustrated profanity slowly decreased in volume as the alchemist ran

into the distance, chased by his oblivious pet blob and the bears trying to kill both of them.

Croissant and Akechi didn't see 'You' for a week, tired, hungry, and with dried inert matter

in a jar ("He just needs some water.)". Both of them agreed it was a very refreshing change

of pace.


	14. The Escape

With a final, unearthly wail, the Necromancer dissolved into a solid white column of light. The sheer power of the holy circle surprised all six heroes: 'You' and Analia were knocked entirely to the ground.  
Even the priests had to turn their heads, the force was so great.

Once the light faded and eyes began to adjust, minutes that felt like hours passed with absolute silence. It was Priesterin who broke the silence.

"While I thank you and your...friends, for helping us eliminate that beast, there's the slight matter of what happens to the undead when their master is gone," With a slight wave of his hands, a shimmering,  
purple portal formed on the ground, which Unknown and Analia stepped into without a word. "That is officially your problem." And with that, the chosen warriors of Shael were gone.

There was a groan. Then another. Then a symphony of wailing in every direction. The three stood alert and turned to the hallway. Flesh.  
Rotting, pulsating flesh, fragments of blood-covered bone forming vaguely humanoid figures, stumbling, walking. Towards them. "Croi?  
Exorcismus. Now. COME ON!"

"I don't have any gems! I can't, I-I...oh, God!" While the Assassin unleashed a flurry of obscenities at the rapidly-breaking-down priest,  
'You' stood in silent thought. They were fucked, there's too much to fight through. Esma? Not after that last fight...there was only one thing TO do, and the best man for the job was...

Rather rougly, 'You' grabbed both priest and assassin, with a variety of yells and confused accusations. Slinging one over each shoulder,  
the Soul Linker took a deep breath, looked for a gap in the undead,  
and ran like only a student of Taekwon-Do could.

And it was working. He was fast. Faster than the other two, and faster than the zombie's reactions. There was screaming. Pushing.  
Mayhem. But they were escaping the abbey.

He could barely even feel the stabs to the back Akechi was doing out of sheer fury.


	15. The End

With a scream of pure pain, fire emerged from Akechi's eyes and mouth,  
the assassin's entire body burning and melting, before, after but a few seconds, a pile of black ash was all that remained.

"Akechi! AKECHI! FUCK!" 'You' ran towards the spot his most hated ally used to be...only to be forced back by another wave of the Phoenix's fire. Each surge got more and more intense, and while Kaizel and Saftey Walls kept those two alive, it was only a matter of time until something gave.

Here on Aurora, Shael was God.

And when God wants you dead, you're dead.

"Bring him back! BRING HIM BACK!"

"I can't! There's...there's nothing, oh, oh God!" Croissant burst into tears, his knees giving out. 'You' went silent. This is really it, he realized. We really are going to die.

The barrage of flame shattered the pink barrier, and almost immediately the robes of Soul Linker and Priest burst into flames. In that frenzied moment of pain, both shared the same thought: Why? What was the point of this entire event? Why did they come here, fight all this way, just to be killed by the one who brought them?

They never learned the answer. 


	16. The Morning

The golden rays of the morning greeted 'You''s eyes as they opened.

The Soul Linker took a moment to listen to the sounds of the new day: a bird chirping in the distance, the rustling of the tree branch, and, more locally, the soft breathing of the priest sleeping next to him. Gently, carefully, 'You' slipped out of the two-person sleeping bag. It was time to invent breakfast.

And there it was, easy enough to find. Only a dozen or so meters from the camp rested a fuzzy, meaty-looking rabbit. "Hey buddy," the Linker murmured, before releasing a blue wisp at the rabbit. The critter writhed violently at the assault on its soul, before going still.

Croissant was gently nudged. He mumbled.

Another nudge. He opened an eye to see 'You''s face uncomfortably close to him. "Goooooood morning! Soup's on, I found a whatever-the-fuck and it smells meaty enough."

While not exactly enthused about the idea of eating stewed whatever-the-fuck, the prospect of 'You''s cooking was enough motivation to lure the Priest out of the sleeping bag, and into another day of violence, team conflict, and, once in a while, comradeship.


	17. The Mission

"Wait, wait, wait, how about this instead: Fuck you. I want to go home," 'You' already didn't like the sound of what Shael was saying. This assassin asshole already tried to kill him twice over, and the priest? Ehhhh...no. This Chosen One bullshit? Not happening to him.

The stern glance from the Demigod made it clear such insolence would not be put up with. "Go home? Go home to what? You don't have a home, or a history, or anything at all to go to. You know this, and I know this, that's why you're here."

'You' turned silent, and looked slightly pale. "You will do this because I say you must, and there is no way for you to get out of it. Only you three will do."

At this point, Croissant spoke up. "Well, Mister...Shael. I've known Akechi for some time, and he's quite a fighter, and I know how to perform a few exorcisms, but..." the priest paused, not entirely sure where he was going with that. If these two enemies overthrew a god of sorts, then what hope were the three of them? He looked at 'You' quickly, recalling the incompetent display during their monster run-in.

"Don't worry." Shael simply nodded, the concern clear as day to him. "You'll be well provided for. While Aurora may be under that damned Necromancer's control, I still have powers of my own. As long as I have a say in it, you will see no afterlife."

"Oh, joyous, no mercy-kills for us." An evil eye quickly shut 'You''s mouth and allowed the God to continue.

"I can't make my presence too known, this altar is the only place I really have any power anymore. Still, I will aid you how I can, because..." Shael paused. "...Because I know you three can do it. The abbey is to the southeast, a couple day's journey, perhaps. You can go there immediately, if you so choose."

A hurried discussion amongst the three awkward adventurers led to the consensus that there wasn't much else to do, but charge forward to the Necromancer and, well, hope for the best.


	18. The Climax

"No regrets, guys. We're either going home, or TO HELL!"

"Shut up, dumbass." Akechi quietly packed his belongings as 'You' made a variety of failed 'inspiring' quips. Alongside him, the Stalker was sharpening a variety of knives. The two stealth killers had gotten along far better than any of the other four expected, possibly brought together by a mutual desire to find the easiest way to stab the kidneys.

"Come on, man, we gotta get pumped up a little. Sure, we might be marching to our horrible deaths as a phoenix-ultra-merged-god thing sends our souls to a torment beyond all pos-" 'You' was unable to finish that thought, as a well-aimed arrow from the Sniper sent him straight to the ground.

"Thank god." The Sniper only nodded to Akechi's compliment, while Croissant went to heal the Soul Linker. Still, his words were true. While they would die either way, here, not an hour away from the volcano where the Phoenix supposedly is, was there one chance to go home. All six of them.

The ground rumbled slightly. The High Wizard, meditating until this point, suddenly opened her eyes and stood. 'You' and Croissant began to share the light blue glow of two spirits combining to a single force. It's time to go.


End file.
